Chicora | Periscope

Description/Standards Tabs

Description

The Chicora were traditionally a coastal tribe living near Pawleys Island, South Carolina. They grew corn, tobacco and beans in their gardens and domesticated animals like deer and chickens. Because of their location, the Chicora may have been some of the first Native Americans to see the Spanish explorers arrive in the 1520s.

A peaceful tribe, the Chicora traded gifts with the Spanish. But the Spanish explorers to the "New World" had few good intentions. Many Chicora were taken from their land as slaves. D'Allyon, one of the earliest Spanish explorers of America, travelled to Spain with "Francisco Chicora," a member of the Chicora tribe. There, Francisco learned Spanish and told the Spanish royalty about the beauty of his tribal lands.

The history of the Chicora people shares much in common with the history of other tribes in South Carolina. They often suffered from discrimination and had to attend separate schools in the 1900s. But throughout their struggle they have kept a bond with their Native American roots. Members of this tribe still live near the South Carolina coast. They are represented by the Chicora-Siouan Indian Nation (near Andrews) and the Chicora-Waccamaw Indian People (near Conway).